A Pastoral Message to the Parishioners of St. Joan of Arc & Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Dear Parishioners of Saint Joan of Arc Parish and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish,
As we navigate our journey of faith and renewal in our Portage North region, I want to share some important details regarding the future of our communities following the recent announcement from the Diocese of Youngstown. The Most Reverend David J. Bonnar, Bishop of Youngstown, has officially approved the merger of our parishes. Specifically, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Aurora) will merge with Saint Joan of Arc (Streetsboro), and Saint Joseph (Mantua) will merge with Saint Ambrose (Garrettsville).
Since I began my ministry in our region on May 1, 2023, I have been truly blessed to serve as your pastor and to form a deep relationship with the many eager and faithful people here. When our two parishes officially merge on January 1, 2027, I am overjoyed to share that I will continue serving as the pastor of our newly combined parish family.
I fully welcome Bishop Bonnar’s decision. Originally, there was a regional model to have one single pastor try to manage all four distinct communities of Portage North. However, managing four separate parishes places an immense administrative burden on a priest. By grouping our region into two distinct, newly merged pairings, our communities will receive the focused attention they truly need. I am deeply glad for this arrangement because it allows me to be less of a corporate manager and more of a priest, shepherd, and sacramental minister to you.
It is important to emphasize that none of our church buildings will close. Instead, we are combining our financial accounts, pastoral councils, staff, and programs under a single name and pastoral leadership team to create a stronger, more vibrant community. As Bishop Bonnar beautifully wrote to us: “This decision is not about ending a legacy, but about strengthening our mission... You are not losing your identity; you are expanding your family.”
As part of this merging process, we need to provide Bishop Bonnar with proposals for what to call our new, combined parish. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the identity of our expanded faith family. You will find specific instructions elsewhere in this bulletin outlining exactly how you can submit your name proposals to us. I encourage everyone to participate, pray over this decision, and share your ideas.
As we prepare for this transition, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Father Scott Kopp. He has been serving beautifully as our parochial vicar since April 2026, showing immense dedication and a total willingness to step up and lead the upcoming merger for St. Joseph and St. Ambrose.
Even though he will become the new pastor for the Mantua and Garrettsville communities, Father Kopp will still continue to be helpful to our parishes every Saturday by assisting us with the Sacrament of Confession and celebrating Mass. We are incredibly grateful for his continued presence among us.
Please keep Father Kopp, our neighboring parishes, and our own communities in your prayers during these upcoming weeks of transition. Over the coming weeks, we will share more details on how our councils and ministries will begin working together as one.
Fraternally in Christ,
